We are excited to announce our participation in the research project “CO2For-IT”. This initiative is dedicated to the development, prototypical implementation, and practical testing of a “Forest Data Space”. Our goal is to revolutionize sustainable and climate-positive timber production. At the heart of “CO2For-IT” lies the “Forest Data Space”. This platform is built on the principles of openness, federation, trustworthiness, and security, as advocated by the European Gaia-X initiative. It will serve as a foundation for comprehensive sustainability monitoring, covering both the biological production in forests and the technical production processes.
The “Forest Data Space” is a game-changer, offering new, extensive incentives for digital and sovereign participation to forestry actors who have traditionally operated in analog or semi-digital modes. This initiative promises to catalyze digital transformation across the entire sector, enabling for the first time the comprehensive optimization of value creation processes and networks, from saplings to wood-based products.
This platform will enable cross-value chain monitoring of CO2 balances. It will provide crucial data for developing strategies to combat climate change, positioning the “Forest Data Space” as an enabling technology for the green digital transformation of forestry value chains through data-driven services.
A significant part of our contribution to the “CO2For-IT” project involves precise carbon accounting during timber harvesting and transportation, based on individual log sections. For this purpose, we are deploying both an advanced version of our smart chainsaw and our iFOS software in harvesters. In this endeavor, the seamless integration of machinery enabled by our iFOS middleware system across the entire timber harvesting process is key to ensuring accurate carbon tracking.
Furthermore, we are focusing on the physical and emotional stress faced by humans during timber harvesting. Finally, we will enable the deployment of a more advanced forest road condition monitoring sensor system “Messlanze”, which will be specifically designed for timber trucks. Optimizing truck routes means less fuel consumption and a smaller carbon footprint, aligning perfectly with our commitment to sustainability and environmental responsibility.
Project Partners:
We are proud to collaborate with a consortium of esteemed partners in this project:
- Materna Information & Communications SE
- RIF Institut für Forschung und Transfer e. V.
- RWTH Aachen University, including the Institute for Man-Machine Interaction (MMI), the Laboratory for Machine Tools and Production Engineering (WZL), and the Institute for Industrial Engineering (IAW)
- Rhenus Forest Logistics GmbH & Co. KG
- HSM Hohenloher Spezial Maschinenbau GmbH & Co. KG
- Forstliches Forschungs- und Kompetenzzentrum Gotha (ThüringenForst – AöR)
- Kuratorium für Waldarbeit und Forsttechnik e. V. (KWF)
- foldAI
Together with these partners, we look forward to advancing sustainable forestry practices and contributing to the fight against climate change through the “CO2For-IT” project.
